Teams That Have Won The Football Association Cup

454

THE STRAND MAGAZINE.

" Me and Teddy," said Mr. Kybird, turn-
ing to her with a little l)ob, which served him
for a bow, " 'ave just been having a Httle tall<
about old times."

" He was just passing," said Mr. Sillt.
"Ju.st passing, and thought I'd looli in,"
said Mr. Kybird, with a careless little laugh ;
" the door was open a bit."

" Wide oijcn," corroborated Mr. Silk.
" So I just came m to say ' 'Ow d'ye do ? ' "
said Mr. Kybird.

Mrs. Silk's sharp, white face turned from
one to the other. " 'Ave you said it ? " she
inquired, blandly.

" I 'ave," said Mr. Kybird, restraining
Mr. Silk's evident intention of hot speech by
a warning glance ; " and now I'll just toddle
off 'onie."

" 111 go a bit o' the way with you," said
Edward Silk. " I feel as if a bit of a walk
would do me good."

Left alone, the aston-
ished Mrs. Silk took
the visitor's vacated
chair and, with wrinkled
brow, sat putting two
and two together until
the sum got beyond her
powers of calculation.
Mr. Kybird's affability
and Teddy's cheerful-
ness were alike incom-
prehensible. She
mended a hole in her
pocket and darned a
pair of socks, and at
last, anxious for advice,
or at least a confidant,
resolved to see Mr.
Wilks.

She opened the door
and looked across the
alley, and saw with
some satisfaction that
his blind was illumina-
ted. She closed the door
behind her sharply,
and then stood gasping
on the doorstep. So
simultaneous were the
two happenings that it actually appeared as
though the closing of the door had blown Mr.
Wilks's lamp out. It was a night of surprises,
but after a moment's hesitation she stepped
over and tried his door. It was fast, and

there was no answer to her knuckling. She
knocked louder and listened. A door
slammed violently at the back of the house,
a distant clatter of what sounded like .sauce-
pans came from beyond, and above it all
a tremulous but harsh voice bellowed in-
dustriou.';ly through an interminable chant.
By the time the third verse was reached Mr.
Wilks's neighbours on both sides were
beating madly upon their walls and blood-
curdling threats strained through the plaster.
She stayed no longer, but regaining her
own door sat down again to await the return
of her son. Mr. Silk was long in cominu,
and she tried in vain to occupy herself widi
various small jobs as she speculated in vain
on the meaning of the events of the night.
She got up and stood by the open door, and
as she waited the clock in the church-tower,
which rose over the roofs hard by, slowly
boomed out the hour
of eleven. As the
echoes of the last
stroke died away the
figure of .Mr. Silk turned
into the alley.

"You must 'ave 'ad
quite a nice walk," said
his mother, as she drew
back into the room
and noted the bright-
ness of his eye.

"Yes," was the
reply.

" I s'pose 'e's been
and asked you to the
wedding ? " said the
sarcastic Mrs. Silk.

Her son started and,
turning his back on
her, wound up the
clock. " Yes, 'e has,"
he said, with a sly grin.
Mrs. Silk's eyes sna|i-
ped. " tt'ell, of all the

impudence " she

said, breathlessly.

" Well, 'e ha.s," said
her son, hugging him-
self over the joke.
"And, what's more, I'm going."

He compo.sed his face sufficiently to bid
her "good-night," and, turning a deaf ear to
her remonstrances and in(|uiries, took up a
candle and went off whistling.

Teams that have IVon the Football Association. Cup.

I^^V' Bv C. B. Frv.

|^W^[We have pleasure in announcing thai we have ma.le arrangements with Mr. C. B. Fry, who is not only the

, ^^H greatest ithlete ahve. but also the most mrpriaininr, „.,;,., r_ .n ...u:_-. . , .',' . . . ""' "'"' '"°

\^m art

ll

greatest ithlete alive, but also the most
articles for no

(To he coiiclKtii'd.)

e alive, but also the most enterl.aining writer on all subjects connected with athletics, to siipplv
other magazines than those issued by this lirm. We may take this opportunity of stating "l^at
a similar arrangement exists between vis and Jfr. W. W. Jacobs.]

faster than those of the opposing club, had
much the best of the play, and won by one
goal to none. The smallness of the score
was chiefly due to the excellent goal-keeping
of Colonel Merriman, C.S.I., who, as a report
says, "held the military fortress in transcendent
style." Mr. C. W. Alcock, so well known as
the secretary for many years of the Football
Association and the present secretary of the
Surrey Cricket Club, was captain of the
Wanderers that year. He was a very power-
ful and determined forward, and his play in
the match was highly praised. To indicate
the spirit in which the game was fought out
It may be mentioned that one of the losing
side, Cresswell, was unfortunate enough to
smash his collar-bone in the first ten
minutes, but in spite of this continued to play
vigorously throughout the game. The late
Sir Francis Marindin, afterwards president of
the Association and a great name in the
history of the game, played for the Royal
Engineers in this match.

The final ne.xt year, 1873, was played on
the old athletic ground at Lillie Bridge be-
tween the \\'anderers and O.xford University,
and the former club won, much in the same
style as on the first occasion, by two goals to
none. The 'Varsity men were better to-
gether, but the Wanderers more brilliant
individually. A feature of the match was
the exceptional play of the Hon. A. F. (now
Lord) Kinnaird, .so familiar to all followers
of football as one of the strongest and the
kindliest influences in the development and
government of A.ssociation football. A
curious incident in the match was that the
Oxford team, finding themselves unable to
press home their attack, adopted in the
second half the expedient of playing without
a goal-keeper. This is very interesting as
showing that in those days much more im-
portance was attached to attack than to
defence. Indeed, it is quite true to say that
a large part of the defence was done by the
forwards. In accounts of the game one
conies repeatedly across descriptions of how
the forwards came back, relieved pressure
near goal, and transferred the ball to the
other end. But the Oxford expedient did
not succeed, for C. \\\ \\'ollaston scored a
very easy goal for the Wanderers.

jlT the time when the Cup was
instituted— in 1872— the fam-
ous AVanderers Club held dis-
puted but triumphant sway in
the land. In constitution it
somewhat resembled the pre-
sent-day Corinthians ; originally its members
were drawn almost exclusively from the public
schools and Oxford and Cambridge, although
subsequently the rules of the club were re-
la.xed in favour of a wider scope of member-
ship. The \\'anderers Club was not only the
strongest in point of play, but also exerted the
greatest influence in early Association foot-
ball. The nearest rivals of the Wanderers in
strength and in popular estitnation were the
Royal Engineers ; and then came Oxford
University and the Old Etonians. These
four were the only clubs that won their
way to the finals during the first seven years
of the competition. The record of the
Wanderers was decidedly brilliant, for they
won the Cup five times out of the first seven.
Oxford University was successful in the third
year and the Royal Engineers in the fourth.
By their third successive win in 1878 the
Wanderers won the Cup outright and were
entitled to keep it, but they returned it to the
Association with the proviso that a rule
should be passed whereby the Cup should
never, even after a triple win, become the
permanent property of a club.

The final-ties in these early years were
fought out with tremendous vigour. The first
final of all, in r872, between the AVanderers
and the Royal Engineers, at Kennington
Oval, provided an historic struggle. 'I'hey
were the two most powerful clubs of the day,
and the meeting between them excited great
interest. The Engineers, owing to the more
limited extent of their resources, were favoured
by popular sympathy: indeed, they were con-
sidered to have the better chance of winning,
on the supposition that they were fitter and
had better combination. It is curious to
note that even in these early days, when the
force of individual play was paramount and
combined tactics had been reduced to
no sort of system, the idea of the advan-
tage of combination was present to the
mtnds of critics. The \A'anderers, however,
whose forwards were rather heavier and

456

THE STRAND MAGAZINE.

In the third year, 1874, the Wanderers,
playing below strength, were beaten in a
|)reliminary round by Oxford, who met the
Engineers in the final and won by two goals
to none. The match was played at the Oval
before 5,000 spectators, a number described
at the time as huge. What should we think
of such a huge gate now ? The dribbling
of C. J. Ottaway, the celebrated O.xford
cricketer, was much admired, as also was the
play on the other side of the gentleman who
is now Colonel P. (J. von Donop, R.E., of the
Board of Trade, to whose courtesy I am
indebted for information about the Royal
Engineers Club. Some of the terms used
in describing the match are interesting.
O.xford scored their first goal by lifting the
ball cleverly "over a bully." There is, too,
something naive in the following: "Just
before call of time a well-judged shot from
the corner-flag — a penalty kick — landed the
ball under the tape and between the posts of
the .Sappers' goal ; but as the claim of a goal
was not advanced the incident passed o(f
unnoticed.''

The fourth final, that of 1875, ended after
a tight game in a well-merited victory for the
Engineers, who at length achieved a fitting
reward for their plucky football and the
excellent organization of their club. As a
matter of fact the first attempt at this final,
though an extra half-hour was plaved, ended
in a draw. In the replay the Old Etonian
team, for whom both Kinnaird and Ottaway
played, was somewhat weakened. Still, the
Sappers richly deserved their triumph.

The next three years, 1876, 1877, and
1878, the (^up went to the \Vanderers. In
1876 the Wanderers beat the Old Etonians
by three to none after a drawn game. The
Wanderers had much the best of the replay,
for the Etonian contingent was somewhat
battered about in the first game. It is nar-
rated that the Wanderers' forwards were
better together, but that the P^tonians held a
decided advantage in charging. In those days
players went very straight and hard ; their
vigour would have scandalized a modern
referee ; but charging was then as essential
a part of the game as ]mssing is now.
The half-back play in this match of the
Hon. Edward Lyttelton, the present head
master of Haileybury, was described as
brilliant, and the close and effective
dribbling of the Hon. Alfred Eyttelton, the
All - England cricketer and noted K.C.,
" evoked frequent applause." There are not
many hiture head masters or K.C.'s in our
present-day finals. In 1877 the Wanderers

beat Oxford after an extra half-hour by two
to none. The 'Varsity men were much
praised for their skill in "backing up," a
term which reminds us now rather of Rugby
than Association, and which indicates the
style of forward play then in vogue. But
the Wanderers lasted the better. Lord
Kinnaird kept goal for the U^tnderers in
this match ; we read that a point was justly
given against him because he stepped, ball
in hand, through his own goal. He usually
played half-back, in which position he was a
very powerful player, noted for iiis tough
vigour and inexhaustible stamina. The
Wanderers' third successive win was over
the Engineers. They won somewhat easily
by three to one, owing to the superior
speed of their forwards. J. Kirkpatrick, the
A\'anderers' goal-keeper, according to a con-
temporary record, fractured his arm earl)- in
the game, but continued to play all through.

After this year the strength of the
Wanderers was dissipated by the growth
of the Old Boy clubs. When the latter
clubs increased in number the Wanderers
had the alternativesof facing a change in the
source of their membership or of relying
upon the leavings of the Old Boys'
clubs ; and as a result they ceased to be
a [lower in the land — they had done
fine work, but their day was passed. They
were tieaten in 1879 by the Old Etonians
by the substantial margin of seven goals to
two in the first round. Their victors con-
tested the final of that year with the Clap-
ham Rovers, and won a hard match by one
goal to none. But the Clapham Rovers,
who possessed in N. C. Bailey one of the
finest half-backs who have ever played, beat
Oxford University in the final of 1880.

The next year, 1881, saw a tremendous
struggle between the Old Carthusians and
the Old Etonians, which roused, of course,
intense excitement among the past and pre-
sent members of the respective schools.
The Carthusians won by three goals to none ;
they were, it is written, " in better condition,
in fact in the pink of it, and more
impetuous." Captain E. C. Wynyard, the
Hampshire batsman, headed the first goal.
There is a present-day ring about " headed
the ball beneath the cross-bar." Hitherto
goals are mostly described as having been
kicked beneath the tape. The second goal,
too, reads quite modern. " Page and Parry
passed and repassed and Parry scored."

The season of 1882 marks an important
epoch in the history of the (^up. For the
first time a provincial club reachei^the final.

TEAMS THAT HAVE WON THE ASSOCIATION CUP. 457

The Association game had held from early
days a strong interest in Sheffield. But the
Sh'effielders had somewhat delayed their
development by sticking to their own rules,
which differed somewhat from those uni-
versally accepted in the South when the Cup
was instituted. Hence it was that Lancashire,
where the game spread like wild-fire when
once introduced, sent the first provincial
team to the Oval. This was none other than
the Blackburn Rovers. The Rovers had
enjoyed a wonderful season and were confi-
dently expected by their supporters to knock
out the Old Etonians. But after a desperate
encounter the South-
ern club scored a
narrow win. The
success was largel)'
due to some super-
human defensive
work by P. J. Para-
vicini, who " saved
the Etonian goal
time after time by
literally hurling him-
self in front of the
ball."

Paravicini, who is
well known as an old
Middlesex cricketer,
was a most deter-
mined back. A. T. B.
Dunn, the .late
treasurer of the
Corinthians E.C,
who played back for
England against
Scotland in 1892,
distinguished him-
self in- this match
with his speed and
cleverness as a for- VTama\
ward. There is a

story that the Blackburn people were so
confident of victory that they brought down
with them from home a poetical effusion
clebrating their triumph. In consequence
they came in for a considerable amount of
chaff. But, inasmuch as their team won the
Cup five times during the next nine years,
their local bard may be said to have justified
himself, if not as a poet, at any rate as a
pro|)het. Nowadays football poets do these
tilings rather more discreetly. They go to
big matches armed with two sets of poems,
. one for each side, and are careful to supi>ress
the wrong one.

The next year the provinces made good
their position. Blackburn Olympic beat the
Vol. xMiii.-68.

Old Jitonians in the final. Never since that
day has an Old Boy club, or a club of a
similar description, won its nay to the final.
Still on this occasion the Etonians made a
great fight, and were only defeated after extra
time had been played. 'I'heir weight and
speed held against their opponents' combina-
tion till condition began to tell. The beaten
side were unlucky in having their best for-
ward, A. T. B. Dunn, completely disabled
fairly early in the game ; the grand resistance
they made was chiefly due to the back play
of Paravicini and French, and the unflagging
skill and stamina of Kinnaird at half-back.

FIR^T TEAM TO TRAES TOR A .MATCH ;
MODERN TACTICS.

It is said that Kinnaird was the only man on
the Etonian side who lasted through the
match. It seems that for the first time in
a Cup-final the present distribution of the
side was used ; for, whereas the Etonians
stuck to the old arrangement of six forwards,
two halves, two backs, and a goal-kee[)er, the
Olympic seem to have reduced their forward
rank by one and played a centre half-back.
The following criticism is instructive : "We
congratulate the Olympic Club on their
splendid coi-idition, whereii-i they outclassed
their opponents ; though we must say that
going into actual training was never contem-
plated by those who instituted the Cup
competition." Nowadays no team thinks of

458

THE STRAND MAGAZINE.

playing even in the first round without a
careful and special course of training. Verily
times have changed.

The eight years from 1884 till 189 1 may be
called the era of the Blackburn Rovers, for
during this time they won the Cup five times,
thus equalling the record of the Wanderers.
The Roiers also achieved the feat of winning
in three successive years. On the third
occasion the Football Association, being
unable to allow the Cup to become the per-
manent property of the Rovers, awarded them
a silver shield to commemorate their notable
performance. Their first two victories were
over Queen's Park, (llasgow, which is to this
day the pretnier amateur club of Scotland. In
those days Scotland was almost entirely given
over to Rugby ; so much so that when the
idea was mooted of playing an international
match between Scotland and England much
indignation was expressed in Scotland ; it
was said that inasmuch as Scotchmen played
Rugb)', and Rugby was rheir game, the

match with England under Association rules
was absurd. However, Queen's Park soon
made many proselytes and the idea was
carried out. As a matter of fact, the
Cup-final between the Rovers and Queen's
Park in 7884 was invested with practi-
cally the full interest of an international
encounter in addition to its own. The un-
precedented number of 12,000 spectators
attended the match at Kennington Oval.
The Scotchmen were expected to win.

Although the idea of combination and
passing had already been partially exploited.
Queen's Park ap[)ears to have been the first
team to introduce a real system of systematic
short passing such as w.is afterwards per-
fected by Preston North End, and has since
become the fundamental principle of forward
play. In the match in question the Scottish
forwards appear to have overrun the Ro\ers,
who, however, were very strong in. defence,
and succeeded in preserving their goal in
spite of close pressure.

Cradually the tide turned, and the Rovers
in their turn attacked with such success that
they won the match by two goals to one.
The secret of the Rovers' success on this
and other occasions appears to have con-
sisted partly in the power of their delence
and partly in their knack of pushing home an
advantage when they got one. They often
won even when their opponents apparently
had the better of the game.

The final of 1885, also between the Rovers
and Queen's Park,
was won by the
former chiefly by
reason of superior
defence. 'I' h e
Rovers had an
exceptionally fine
goal-keeper in H.
Arthur and two
remarkable half-
backs in J. Forest
and G. Howarth.
Their forwards,
too, were very
strong, especially
Lofthouse and
l''ecitt. -Several
fiimous Scottish
players repre-
sented Queen's
Park, notably Dr.
J. Smith, W.
Arnott, and \V.
i/vi«io. Sellar. Dr. Smith
was a fine forward
and had a great reputation. Arnott is gener-
ally reckoned as the cleverest back that ever
played for Scotland. With these two matches
it may be said that the modern era of foot-
ball had begun, for the general tenor of the
play differed only jlighUy from that of the
big professional clubs of to-day.

The Blackburn Rovers won the Cup again
in t886. The final this year was notable
from the fact that it was the first time a
Midland club — West Bromwich Albion—

TEAMS THAT HAVE WON THE ASSOCIATION CUP.

459

succeeded in struggling into the last stage.
After a draw at the Oval the match was
replayed at Derby amid intense excitement.
This, too, was the first time a final had been
played in the provinces, 'I'he crowd at
Derby was an extraordinary sight ; even the
framework on the neighbouring racecourse,
whereon are posted the numbers of jockeys
and starters, was occupied by clinging spec-
tators. The Rovers' defence again prevailed
and they won by two to none. In the next
three years the Rovers failed to reach the
final, but they appeared again in iSyo and
scored an easy win of six to one over
Sheffield Wednesday, and again the next
)-car, when
they beat
Notts by
three to one.
This victory
brought their
remarkable
career in the
Cup-ties to a
close ; since
then they have
not again sur-
vived to a
final. No
other club,
h(jwever, has
at all rivalled
their success.

T h e two
Birmingham clulw, Aston Villa and West
Bromwich Albion, may be bracketed
together as Cup - fighters second only to
Blackburn Rovers. Indeed, considering
the increase of competition, their record
is almost as good. The Villa Club
has won three times, in 1887, 1895, and
1897, and has figured once besides in
the final unsuccessfully. West Bromwich
has won twice, in 1888 and 1892, and has
figured three times as runner-up. Curiously
enough these two chilis have met three
times in the final — two of the matches going
to the A'illa and one to West Bromwich.
The Villa's first victory in the Cup was over
its next-door neighbour. This was in the
days of .Archie Hunter, who led his men in
wonderful style as centre forward. The
second triumph of the Villa was also at the
expense of West Bromwich. A memorable
point about this match was a new departure
made by the Association in selecting the
Crystal Palace ground for the scene of the
match. It vras formerly one of the traditions
of the final, broken only in a single instance.

that it should take place at Kennington Oval,
but the Surrey Cricket Club feared for its
turf. The Crystal Palace authorities, by
draining and filling one of their artificial
lakes, made a splendid playing-area with
accommodation fur over one hundred
thousand spectators, and the final has been
[)layed there ever since. The game, though
it went on the whole in favour of the winners,
proved exceedingly close and exciting. The
half-backs on both sides distinguished them-
selves, especially Reynolds, formerly a West
Bromwich player, who had transferred his
services. The forward [jlay was voted rather
disappointing, for a great deal had been

—THE TEAM WHICH liKOUGHT THEIK I.O\G SEKIES OF VI(
^VojH a P/ioio. hi] E. Httwkitu <t Co., Brighton.

expected of the Villa front rank, which
included Athersmith, Devey, and Hodgetts.
But W. J. Bassett, the \\'est Bromwich
outside right, in spite of being very clo.sely
watched, played with his usual brilliance.
In 1897 the Villa had a remarkable team
and beat another very strong team in
Everton by three goals to two. The Villa
half-back line, consisting of Reynolds, James
Cowan, and Crabtree, was one of the best
that has ever played for a club. Many
people consider that the standard of play on
this occasion was the highest that has ever
been seen in a final-tie.

When the Cup was in the possession of
Aston Villa after their second win it was
stolen from the shop-window of a jeweller,
where it had been placed for the people of
Birmingham to see ; the thief removed a
pane of glass, and retired with the trophy
into oblivion. So the Villa could not
comply with the regulation whereby the Cup
must be returned by February ist in each
year. The Association had another silver
Cup made, an exact facsimile of the old one.

460

THE STRAND MAGAZINE.

The value of the Cup is only £■20. When
the AVoIverham|)toii Wanderers beat Kverton
in the final of 1893 the president of the club
presented each of the players with a minia-
ture model of the Cup, and it was from one
of these that the second Cup was copied.

The two victories of West Bromwich
Albion were in 1888 and 1892. In the
first case they scored an unexpected win over
the famous old North End team. The
Lancashire club came to the fin.tl with a
remarkable record for the year, having won
thirty-seven games and drawn one out of
thirty-eight played. The West Bromwich
team, always game in Cup-ties, however,
ros3 to the occasion and won by two
goals to one. In their second win West

[//. J. irAiWuft, hirinitinliain.

Bromwich revenged themselves upon Aston
Villa. The latter team was expected to win
easily, but went under by three goals to
none. The success of the winners was due
to the staunchness of their defence and
the dash of their forwards. Their goal-
keeper, J. Reader, proved a champion ;
and the backs and half-backs were much
more lively and efficient than those
of the Villa. Indeed, the Villa learn
appeared to be stale and over-trained. The
forwards played a short-passing game, whicli
was pretty and effective enough in mid-field,
but, as is often the case with this style,
fizzled out near their opponents' goal. The
West Bromwich forwards crossed the ball
from wing to wing and were dangerous every

*■ ■■■'~..;-x

r.^^mof^ii

mm

f 4a

ASTON VILt.A, 1897— THIS TEAM I'l.AVKlJ THF: f'iNEST GA.ME El'ER

From a Photo, by E. S. Bakft <t Son. Birmingham.

;een in a final tie.

TEAMS THAT HAVE WON THE ASSOCIATION CUP.

461

time they got through. W. J. Bassett was
especially prominent. The crowd at the Oval
for this match was so great that all gates were
shut some time before kick-off. The writer
was unable to get into the ground, but viewed
the match from the chimney of an adjoining
cottage, whither he climbed by means of a
ladder made of a water-butt and three kitchen
chairs. A Guardsman who tried to attain the
same eminence got no farther than the inside
of the water-butt. The portraits of this team
are given on the top of the preceding page.

The remaining Cup-winners have been
successful only on one occasion each. The
performance of Preston North End, the win-
ning team of 1889, constitutes a remarkable
record. This team played right through the
competition and won the trophy without
having a
single goal
scored against
it. It beat
the \Volver-
h a m p t o n
Wanderers in
the final by
three goals
to none. Al-
though there
are some who
consider that
the teams
produced
subsequently*
by Sunder-
1 a 11 d and
Aston Villa
were equal to
the old Pres-
ton North I'KESIO.V NOKTH END, 1SS9 — THIS 'lEAM H(
T-. i ^1 COMPETITION AND WON THE CUP \VI

E n d , t h e j^v^m c

balance of

opinion seems to favour the Cup-winners
of 1889 as the finest team that has yet
been seen. Its great success was due to
the perfection to which it reduced scientific
combined play both in attack and in defence,
coupled with the individual excellence of
each one of the eleven. No amount of com-
bination, however perfect, could have pro-
duced the results achieved by Preston North
End had not each member of the team been
a first-rate player. The truth is that the
team was one of remarkable individual excel-
lence, using this excellence on a system of
complete co-operation. The strength of the
backs and half-backs who could keep their
goal intact right through the Cup-ties can be
realized only by those who know what Cup-tie

football is. The North End defence gave one
the idea of having been perfectly planned out
beforehand with a knowledge of exactly what
the other side was going to do at every turn
of the match. The forwards, too, worked
together like parts of a machine. The three
inside men, James Ross, John Goodall, and
F. Dewhurst, played the short-passing game to
perfection, but, unlike many of their imitators,
drove their attack home with persistent
vigour. Their game got goals ; it did not
merely look clever in mid-field.

The victory of the Wolverhampton Wan-
derers over Everton in 1893 was won at
Fallowfield, near Manchester. Everton had
the best of the first half, but the Wanderers,
who were a very heavy team, wore them down
until H. Allen, their centre half-back, scored

'IliE KKCQUD FOR HAVING I'LAYED RIGHT THROUGH THE
T HAVING A SINGLE GOAL SCORED AGAINST THEM.

Photo, by Beatlie, Preston.

the only goal of the match with a long drop-
ping shot. Chadwick and Milward, the
Everton left wing, played very strongly, and
a notable figure on the winning side was H.
Wood, the present captain of Southampton.

The Cup-competition of 1894 was full of
surprises. Notts County, the winning team,
belonged to the second division of the
Eeague, and the Bolton Wanderers, whom
they beat in the final, held only a low place
in the First League. Neither club was con-
sidered of the same class as Aston Villa or
Sunderland. Notts achieved a somewhat
easy victory by four goals to one. The
Bolton team was rather stale owing to
recent hard work in the League matches, and
its half-backs and backs played much below

462

THE STRAND MAGAZINE.

form. The fine goal-keeping of Sutclifie saved
the losers from a much heavier defeat.

The final of i8g6 was between Sheffield
Wednesday and the Wolverhampton Wan-
derers. The former scraped home with a
narrow win. The teams were about equal
forward, but the Sheffield defence was the
more effective ; their backs, especially Earp,
had a neater style and kicked cleaner than
their opponents, and were the more skilful
at keeping the ball in play ; they had, too,
in Crawshaw the best half-back engaged.

The final of 1898, between Notts Forest
and Derby County, produced a somewhat
disappointing game. The Derby team was
reckoned on previous performances to be
much the stronger, especially in forward play.
The Notts men had given a very weak exhibi-

The forwards, led by Bloomer, went straight
and fast, and passed accurately in a style
that contrasted favourably, with the more
ragged attack of their opponents ; but though
they led by one goal at half-time their
efforts in front of goal were unfortunate, and
they subsequently fell away. The Sheffield
men stuck to their work with undaunted
energy, and displayed the same staunch and
steady qualities that brought them through
several tough engagements in the preced-
ing rounds. They wore their opponents
down, and in the end won easily by four
goals to one. A feature of the game was the
marvellous skill with which Needham from
half-back managed to marshall and inspire
the line of forwards in front of him.

The ne.xt two years, which bring us up to

isgwBSmaja«Maa5'.aa

From a Photf. by\

SHEKFIK(.[» U.MTKU, 1899.

I//. Ju^iw lUdteni, iihsMtld.

tion in their semi-final against Southampton,
when they won in the last few minutes of the
match, chiefly by aid of a heavy snowstorm
which beat in their opponents' faces. How-
ever, they won the final on their merits, for
their defence held good, whereas that of their
opponents went all to pieces.

The Sheffield United team which beat
Derby County in the final of rSgg was
chiefly notable for its nerve and stamina, for
the skill of its three half-backs— Johnson,
Morren, and Needham— and for the con-
summate judgment di.splayed by the last-
named in his capacity as captain. The Derby
team was a good one, and for a considerable
part of the game played the better football.

the present day, were notable for the re-
appearance for the first time since 1883 of
Southern clubs in the final. This feature,
however, was due not to rejuvenescence of
the old-time amateur strength, but to the
growth and development of powerful pro-
fessional teams in the South. In 1900 South-
ampton, much to the surprise of those who
did not know how strong the better profes-
sional teams in the South had become, won
their way through to meet Bury in the final.
The Southern team, however, appeared
stale, failed fo reproduce the fine form it had
shown in the preliminary rounds, and was
easily beaten by four goals to none. The
•Bury team was a strong one at all points, but

TEAMS THAT HAVE WON THE ASSOCIATION CUP.

463

especially dangerous owing to the speed and
cleverness of its forward line. Its forwards
played in a style which on the whole appears
to be the most successful in matches played
under the stress of great excitement; they
relied chiefly upon long passing and energetic
following up of the ball rather than on accu-
rate exchanges of the slow order; yet their
combination was good, and there was nothing
crude or unkempt
in their play. Mc-
Luckie, the centre
forward, and
Plant, the outside
left, put in many
excellent indivi-
dual runs.

The honour of
Southern football
was thoroughly
vindicated next
year, when Shef-
field United was
defeated in the
final by Totten-
ham Hotspur.
The first attempt
at deciding the
match ended in a
draw. The game
excited unprece-
dented interest ; p„m « i-iau,. 6»i

over 1 1 4,000 people
attended the game
at the Crystal
Palace. The replay
at Bolton was some-
what of an anti-
climax ; but the
Southern team won
with some ease.
The winning team
well deserved its
success, for it main-
tained a high degree
of excellence
throughout the
Cup-ties. Its main
source of strength
was the admirable
understanding be-
tween the half backs
and forwards, and
the ability of the
former to set the
latter going and to
back up their
efforts near goal.
The team also
possessed a centre forward most trustworthy
in shooting goals. But the success of
the Tottenham men was due, in a large
measure, to their levelheadedness and im-
perturbability; they played their Cup-ties
exactly as they played an ordinary game.

The pictures used were kindly lent by H.
Keys, Esq., president of the famous West
Bromwich Albion Club.

IT. M. llurboiir, Fishpotil. Iturj/.

[I. rutiHgall, Chinoford.